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You're going to discover a hidden secret if you stumble onto this post. If the tides are not too high, you can walk down from Spyglass Park towards the beach and can curve around the bluffs to the right to find a small tiny beach! Now all of this is risky and requires good knees. I don't advise you hike down if the wind, weather and tides are not in your favor as well. I've seen a few guys with coolers traveling around those rocky trails down and then disappear around the corner.
The very first time I went to Spyglass Park was to take my kids to the new playground structure that they have just replaced there.
See my instagram video reel of the Spyglass Park Playground structures. After I brought my husband here for our second visit, I asked him to watch the kids while I try to hike down to get a closer glimpse of the view from down there. It's a very beautiful hike! You can also find surfers along here.
Address: 2549 Spyglass Drive, Pismo Beach, CA 93449
All photos of Spyglass Park in this post were taken by SanLuisObispoMom.com.
A dear friend from the Bay Area came down and visited me. I wanted to take her to a special place where a successful yuppie like her would appreciate. After some research online, I decided to take her to The Rooftop at Inn at the Pier hotel in Pismo Beach that overlooks the pier and ocean. It was absolutely the right pick! The entrance to the hotel took a bit of time to figure out because it's on the opposite end of the beach parking lot. However, once we got on the property, I instantly felt relaxed.
In order to use the elevator to get to The Rooftop, a key is required (update: today, a key is not required to get to The Rooftop Restaurant anymore) so I asked the front desk if we could get to The Rooftop (because we're not staying there as a hotel guest) and I'm glad the front desk personnel was so pleasant as she activated a card and handed it to me. She hoped we would enjoy it.
I was already excited! This key in hand was special.
As we slid the card into the slot of the elevator and pressed the button to get to the top floor, my friend and I looked at each other with amazement as everything looks so new. As we exited the elevator, it was easy to find the entrance to The Rooftop as the sunshine brightened the room from inside. Like finding an oasis in a desert, we've entered The Rooftop with the sound of the heavens in my head.
To my surprise, there's a small pool up there for hotel guests to use! There were also kids from the hotel enjoying a nice time with their parents. There was the bar at the very end, opposite from the ocean. And then there were many tables with the view of the pier and ocean!
Seriously, you can not get a more vertical view of the Pismo Beach Pier from anywhere else!
With many lounge seats, patio tables and chairs, you pick a place to sit and a server will come to you to take your order. The place had many patrons there already and we found a table as close as we could towards the ocean.
We ordered drinks and food. My friend ordered the Bloody Mary and I ordered a local beer called Cali-Squeeze. Both were very refreshing and great!
I ordered the clam chowder, while my friend ordered the corn and home made chips. All were delicious and definitely chef-ly made!
We talked and laughed. We shared personal stories. It was the best hang-out place that my best friend and I have ever shared together and we've known each other since I was four years old. I can't wait to come back to The Rooftop again.
All photos were taken by SanLuisObispoMom.com. This review and experience are my own and not sponsored or endorsed in any way.
Updated Visited for Memorial Day Weekend 2023
On a date night, we wanted to have a higher view of the Pismo Beach Pier one evening during the busy Memorial Day weekend so on a whim, we decided to go to The Rooftop again at Inn at the Pier. This time, we didn't need a key from the front desk anymore! I like that they do this now as it's one less step to get up there. So, we pressed the 3 button in the elevator to go to the top and turned right out of the elevator to step up to their Rooftop restaurant. It was a Saturday evening and there were only a few other parties besides for us. I was kind of surprised. However, I appreciated the speedy service and a great seat to see the Pismo Beach Pier. Here was our view. It was a nice clear evening around 6:15PM!
We also saw smoke coming out of a classic car while we were dining up there. See my video short below for a nice view of the ocean from different angles and unexpected glimpse of a smoking car.
For this visit, we ordered wings and the seabass. The lobster roll was not on their menu this time, which I was bummed about but that gave me a chance to try something else (wings). I wasn't very hungry because we had just had a few appetizers for Pau Hana at Pono Pacific Kitchen in Grover Beach a half hour before. To my surprise, the seabass at The Rooftop is a full sized sea bass (head omitted).
As local who live a 15-minute drive from Madonna Inn, I have the luxury to come to Madonna Inn and dine at their restaurants and attend their events. I've even ordered whole cakes from them before and have tried almost all of their signature flavors. See a list of Madonna Inn cakes and the flavors that I've personally tried below. These are all my personal pictures.
You can also pre-order a whole cake for special occasions online and include a personalized message on the cake, like "Happy Birthday", etc. You can still call and come in person to make an order but last minute orders are not guaranteed because of how busy they get.
I've attended many events at Madonna Inn! They have different events throughout the year and I've also been invited to attend a banquet dinner for a company. It's the most perfect place to celebrate special parties. Here's a list of events that I've attended:
Before my family and I moved to the San Luis Obispo County area, my husband was raving about the dinner spot that his company took him after his final interview. They had flown him from the East Coast, where we had lived, to come to Avila Beach, part of San Luis Obispo County, for this new job opportunity. It didn't take him long after that to make his decision. He wanted to move here and be able to see this panoramic view with me. This view and the location of this restaurant took some bravery. It is right above the bluffs. I can't imagine the special planning it took to build this right here. Anyone is welcome to walk around the balcony and take wonderful pictures for memories. I often look back on the photos I've taken here. (Photo taken by SanLuisObispoMom on the balcony of Ventana Grill)
Ventana Grill is a really special place to us and when we have visitors, we try to take them here for dinner. The ambiance is perfect, service is excellent and food is high quality. They do take reservations but it's not required. We've dined here without reservations but you're not guaranteed a window seat. Even without sitting by the window, you can still see the ocean and cliff views and at anytime, you can walk outside on the balcony and see this wonderful panoramic view of Pismo Beach and Shell Beach. The food is a hit or miss but it has never stopped us from coming back! When there is an issue, it is often because something is overcooked. To see other restaurants in San Luis Obispo county, including the beach areas under this county, go to: Family-Friendly Restaurants.
Yesterday, my family went to the Circus Vargas performance at the 4pm showing. It was nice to break our day with a fun family-friendly show at the beautiful Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo, California! See below for our highlights, videos and pictures that SanLuisObispoMom.com captured at this show time. Parking was $10 per vehicle to park by the circus. We arrived about 25 minutes before the 4PM performance to enjoy some pre-show activities for the kids on the stage. As you enter through, you'll find food and merchandise available for purchase. So if you didn't have time to eat beforehand, don't worry, they have options! It was very nice that they had a lot of fun kid's activities for the pre-show. It helped our kids release a bit of energy and get them excited. After they've alerted us to return to our seats, they started dimming the lights and the show began!
The opening was so thrilling because all of the performers were on stage to welcome you with dance! I couldn't wait to see what's to come! We sat in the arena section and because we got there early enough, we found seats along the entrance so we were able to see everything in plain view.
One of the many fascinating performances was when this contortionist shot an arrow with her feet and hit her target!
There were performances that were absolutely delightful while there were others that were scary; like when this circus performer jumped through a ring of knives while walking on a trampoline!
Usually when I think of the circus, I would think of looking up at trapeze tricks and Circus Vargas did not disappoint!
My son's favorite was when the juggler was juggling 10 balls at once!
When it was the final performance, we were at the edge of our seats when the motorcyclists came out! They started out with two motorcyclists inside a globe and then gradually moved up to four! It was incredible and no one got hurt!
They even performed in the dark at one point!
When the fourth motorcyclist joined in, I could barely open my eyes!
These were the highlights that SanLuisObispoMom.com captured and there were many performances not shown here! The circus show is great for any age and it's very family-friendly.
Circus Vargas usually comes to San Luis Obispo, California every year! Right now they are performing at the Madonna Inn from June 28 - July 8, 2019 so if it's not too late, you can still catch their show for 2019!
Originally from San Diego, California, I'm a San Diego State University alumna, veteran's wife and mom of two kids who were born two years apart. After living on the East Coast for 6 years, we now reside in San Luis Obispo County and here, the exploration continues. In between work and momming it, I like to exercise.
Some of the links are just useful local information that I'm sharing for free and some are commission-based products that may help me earn a small commission for each sale to upkeep with the fees of running this local blog.
(All photos are taken by 
Originally from San Diego, California, I'm a San Diego State University alumna, veteran's wife and mom of two kids who were born two years apart. After living on the East Coast for 6 years, we now reside in San Luis Obispo County and here, the exploration continues. In between work and momming it, I like to exercise.
@sanluisobispomom